Role
Storyboarding
Concepting
CG World building
Instructor
Ara Devejian
Team
Jeffrey Su
Taibo's Counterattack
Style Frames
Programs
Cinema 4D
OctaneRender
Marvelous Designer
Daz Studio
Lightroom Classic
Photoshop
Objective:
Create a narrative sequence to promote Spotify's brand message, "Soundtrack your life."
Story Concept:
In the oppressive city of CODA, the government's stranglehold on the population is absolute. Music, the lifeblood of the people, has been ruthlessly suppressed for years. But one man, Taibo, has had enough.As he works tirelessly in his apartment, the whine of a police drone pierces the air. "Took them long enough," Taibo mutters, grabbing his device and rushing out into the streets.The police are waiting for him on the main road, but Taibo is too quick. He jumps from his terrace onto the back road, where he knows the police will be slower to catch up. He knows these streets like the back of his hand, and he quickly makes his way to the towering monolith at the heart of the city: the propaganda tower.But the police are waiting for him there too, and as he approaches, he feels their hands closing in on him. At the last moment, he fires his grappling gun and is whisked into the air, soaring toward the top of the tower.As he nears the summit, the tower begins to pulse with energy, and the people of the city look on in awe. With a final burst of strength, Taibo destroys the tower, freeing the people of CODA from the government's oppressive rule.Music once again fills the streets, and the people dance and sing, reveling in their newfound freedom. Taibo has done the impossible, and the people will never forget his bravery.
Initial Storyboard Sketch
Process
This is our first time creating our own 3D characters. We used Marvelous Designer to design Taibo and the police in Coda City, and dressed them in Daz Studio, finishing with cloth simulations. In designing these characters, we had to consider what kind of clothes they should wear that would make sense in the world they live in, and what kind of gestures or poses they would need for certain scenarios. There were a lot of tests and failures, but the result is promising.
In developing Coda City using Cinema 4D, we drew inspiration from a particularly challenging period: the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, the rigorous and oppressive measures enacted under China's zero COVID-19 case policy cast a shadow over everyday life. Coda City is a reflection of this reality, encapsulating the oppressive atmosphere and the resulting psychological landscape. In its architecture, layout, and ambiance, Coda City mirrors the weight of a society under strict control, highlighting the impact of such governance on both the environment and the human spirit.
© 2024 michael wang
